This invention relates generally to treat feeders for small animals and birds, and in particular to an improved support structure to which a conglomeration of seed, treat, or other small animal food can be securely affixed and which can be easily fastened to a small animal cage or other supporting device.
Pet birds such as cockatiels and parakeets require a steady diet including a variety of birdseeds. Other small animals such as gerbils, mice, rabbits, and guinea pigs also require a diet including a variety of foods.
One method of providing such a variety is through a formed conglomeration including a variety of seeds, treat, or other food. For example, formed birdseed food products typically include a combination of seeds such as white millet, sunflower, red millet, canary grass seed, and sunflower seeds held together by an edible sticky material such as honey or dextrose. The formed conglomeration is then placed or hung inside the animal cage so that the animal can eat as desired. Conventional hangers for formed seed products are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the use of a support for a formed seed food product displaced on or around a hanger is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,033,708, 5,323,995, and D353,535, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention may be used in a variety of applications involving conglomerations including food other than or in addition to seed. As such, references herein to birdseed or seed are merely illustrative of one possible use of the present invention.
The prior art hanger shown in FIG. 2 (identified generally as 20) includes a generally square-shaped wood shaft 22 with a loop of wire 24 extending therefrom. The wood shaft 22 may be bass or other lightweight wood and may have a variety of shapes. A conglomeration of seed is formed around and to the wood shaft 22 using sticky material included with the seed as an adhesive. The wire loop 24 can be hooked over or twisted around the frame of a cage to hang the formed seed product within the cage for easy access by the animal.
The prior art hanger shown in FIG. 1 (identified generally as 30) is formed from plastic and is somewhat of an improvement over the hanger 20 in FIG. 2. In addition to a shaft portion 32, the hanger 30 includes top 34 and bottom 36 plates in an attempt to prevent the conglomeration of seed from sliding off the shaft 32 when the animal picks at the conglomeration of seed. The hanger 32 further includes a post 38 extending substantially perpendicularly from the shaft 32. The post 38 helps to support the shaft 32 and prevent it from bending as the treat conglomeration is being formed around the shaft 32. The hanger 32 may be suspended from a cage by tying a string or wire through aperture 40 in hanging head 42 on top of the top plate 34. The grooved portions 41 of the hanging head 42 may also be snapped between the bars of cages having the correct bar spacing.
While somewhat effective, there is at least one major drawback to using conventional hangers for formed seed or food products such as the ones shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The problem is that the conglomeration does not adhere to the hangers very well and when the animal picks off a certain amount of food, large chunks of the conglomeration and even the entire conglomeration itself may slide off the hanger and fall to the bottom of the cage. An additional drawback to the prior art hangers shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that no means for securing the hanger at its bottom is provided and the product may swing or bang around the cage as the animal picks at the food. This banging may result in additional pieces of food falling from the hanger and being wasted. Further, the prior art hanger shown in FIG. 1 requires the use of an additional piece of wire to affix the hanger to the cage. While the hanger in FIG. 1 includes top 34 and bottom 36 plates in an effort to prevent the conglomeration from falling off the shaft 32, the employment of such features alone has not been found to be entirely effective.
Accordingly, a need exists for a formed seed or treat hanger that is capable of effectively retaining the conglomeration on the hanger when the animal picks at the seeds, is easily installed in a cage, does not require the use of additional parts to effectuate the installation, is capable of securing both the top and the bottom of the hanger in position, and is cost-effective. The present invention relates to an improved hanger which is capable of effectively retaining the seed or other food on the hanger and solves the problems raised or not solved by existing hangers.